Washing-machine.



I. D. BUTLER.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1908.

Patented Sept, 21, 1909.

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iiifizzik UNITED STATES PATENT ()F JOHN DANIEL BUTLER, OF PAVO, GEORGIA.

WASHING-MACHIN To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pavo, in the county of Thomas and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Wishing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in washing machines, and its object is to provide a machine wherein the same pres-; sure may be brought to bear upon a thick mass of clothes as would be brought to bear. upon a thin mass of clothes so that the machine may be adjusted to the heaviest or the finest fabrics at will, and may be made to bring heavy or light pressure as desired irrespective of the thickness of the mass of clothing being treated.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved washing machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section about midway between the ends of the machine, with parts shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a body 1, in the form of a rectangular box adapted to be supported on a bench or table or it may be supported in any other manner as for instance upon legs, or upon rollers so that it may be readily moved from point to point. Vithin the box 1 there is located a rubbing frame composed of side members 2, joined by end pieces 8, having the upper edge curved on the arc of a circle. The side pieces are provided with-journal bearings for the journals of a series of rollers 4 the series being curved in conformity with the upper edges of the side members 2 of the rubbing frame. These rollers are freely turning and are spaced apart a short distance one from the other. The rubbing frame is made of such size as to fit into the box or receptacle 1 quite snugly, but not so snugly as to prevent it from being easily lifted out when so desired. The curved series of rollers 4 extend practically the entire length of the box or body 1. The bot-tom of the rubbing frame is covered by a piece 5 of sheet material preferably sheet metal, and this sheet is perforated as indicated at 6. The rubbing board is elevated above the bot- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 3, 1908.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909. Serial No. 451,567.

tom of the box by spring supports 7, at the four corners and at other points if desirable.

The top of the box or receptacle 1 is closed in for a distance from the ends by hinged covers 8, the middle portion of the box, however, being left free from covering.

At the central portion of the longer side of the box are secured cuffs or brackets 9, 10, the cuffs or brackets 9 being above and in the same vertical plane as the cuffs 10 but extending at a greater distance from the sides of the body 1 than the cuffs 10. There are two cuffs 9,-10 on each side of the machine. Each pair of cuffs is designed to re oeive a sliding post 11, fitting quite snugly into the cuff 10, but more freely into the cuff 9.

Each cuff 9 carries a thumb screw 12 adapted to bear against the corresponding post 11, the latter carrying a bearing plate 13 for receiving the thrust of the screw 12.

Seated in the side of the box 1 coincident with the cuff 9 is a toothed plate 14 and seated in the post 11 in matching relation to the plate 14 is a similar toothed plate 15. Above the plate 15 the post 11 is thickened to form an overhang or shoulder adapted when the post is in its lowermost position to engage the upper edge of the corresponding side of the body 1 of the washing machine. In this position the teethon the two plates 14, and 15 are made to match, and by screwing in the thumb screw 12 till in engagement with the post 11, through the bearing plate 13 the two plates 14 and 15 may be made to interlock so that post 11 is firmly held in position without the necessity of any other fastening.

By loosening the screw 12 the post 11 may be swung away at the upper end from the side of the body 1 until the two plates 14 and 15 disengage, and then the post may be lifted to any desired extent and again moved into contact with the side of the body 1 so that the two plates 14 and 15 intermesh, when by properly adjusting the screw 12' the plates may be held in intermeshing relation and the post will be locked in its new elevated position. By this means post 11 may be lifted to any desired extent above its original position and there be locked by the corresponding thumb screw 12, the said adjustment being if so desired, made in steps commensurate with the lengths between any two teeth of the plates 14 and 15.

At the upper end of each post 11 is formed to permit the rocking of the bar in the journal bearings formed in the upper ends of the post 11.

The bar 17 supports two side members 18 about midway of their length and these members are joined together at their upper ends by another, handle-bar 19 and near their lower ends by a connecting bar 20. At the lower end of the side bars 18 are formed journal bearings for the journals of a large roller 21, adapted to co-act with the rollers 4 to engage and pass opposite directions over clothing supported upon the rollers 4. \N'here" the bar 17, which may be called a journal bar, extends through the bar 18, the latter is provided with longitudinal slots 22 and between the bar 17 and the lower end of each slot 22 there is housed a helical spring 23 When the posts 11 are in their lowermost positions the axis of the frame carrying the roller 21 s co ncident with the axis of curvature of the series of rollers 4, so that when the frame carrying the roller 21 rocks on its axis then the roller 21 will pass over the rollers 4hat substantially the same distance from each of them. And the extent of rocking movement of the frame carrying the roller 21 is such that the said roller will traverse nearly the entire length of the box or container 1.

Let it be assumed that within container 1 there is an appropriate quantity of washing fluid such for instance as soap suds and that supported upon the rubbing rollers 4 there is a quantity of clothing or other material to be washed. If it be assumed that the amount of clothing to be washed is small then the posts 11 may remain their lowermost position of adjustment. The thickness of the mass of clothing will tend to lift the roller 21 thus compressing the spring 23, but at the same time the spring willyield so that there is established an equilibrium between the yielding of the springs 7 and 23. Now the frame carrying the roller 21 may be reciprocated by proper movement imparted to the handle 19, and any variation in the thickness of the clothing will be compensated for by the yielding of the springs 7 and 23. At the same time the yielding of the spring 7 will cause an up and down movement of the rubbing frame 2, and the wash water will surge through perforations 6 in jets, which jets when moving upward will pass through the spaces of rollers4, and so come in contact with and tend to pass through the clothing supported upon' the rollers 4. As the roller or cylinder 2 passes over the clothing the tendency is to squeeze out any water contained therein and this water will find its way through the spaces between the rollers and along the under part ends thereof.

of the rubbing frame and up at the edges or As soon as the clothes are relieved from the pressure of the cylinders or rollers 21, then it is subjected to the jets of water coming through the perforations 6 be tween the rollers 4. of the clothing in the washing machlne is In this way every part subjected to a'squeezing action due to the engagement therewith f the roller 21 and then to the rush of the washing water through the clothing from below upward loosening the mass of clothing and thorou hly washing out any dirt which may have lodged inthe cloth.

Suppose now that it is desired to treat a larger mass of clothing without changing the tension of the springs 7 and 2.3, since these may be initially adjusted to give the most efficient pressure upon the clothing, then the posts 11 are adjusted upwardly and locked in the upward position. This brings the roller 21 a farther distance from the rol lers 4 b t still its movement is concentr c with the curve of said rollers.

WVhen the larger mass of clothing ,or other material to be treated is subjected to the roller 21 in its new position the same elastic pressure is imparted to the clothing as is the case when a thinner mass of clothing is in the washing machine and the roller 21 is adjusted closer to the rollers 4. This is particularly advantageous in the washing of delicate fabrics, for a large or thick mass of such delicate materials may be washed with the san e facility as a thin mass thereof since the pressure brought to bear upon the materials may be the same in either instance, this being accomplished without the necessity of adjusting the springs.

hat is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising a body, an elastically mounted frame therein having alcin'ved series of rollers with a fiat perforated sheet b low the rollers, and a rubbing member comprising a frame carrying a roller at one end and having its side members longitudinally slotted between the ends, springs within the slots, a cross bar extending through the slots and there rectangular in cross section and engaged by the springs, said bar having its ends beyond the side bars formed into onrnals, and longitudinally adjustable posts or standards receiving the journals on the cross bars and supporting washing machine, one of each pair of brackets extending farther from the body of the machine than the other, a thumb screw car- 1 ried by each of the more extended brackets, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as a toothed plate seated in the side of the mamy own, I have hereto aflixed my signature 10 chine coincident with each of the more exin the presence of tWo Witnesses.

tended brackets, and a matching toothed JOHN DANIEL BUTLER plate in the corresponding edge of each post,

the last named toothed plate being on the Vitnesses: side of the post remote from that engaged by A. R. CROMARTA, the thumb screw. JOHN P. CLoWER. 

